Phoenix's Glory: Flaming Avenger
Homecoming Akane was sitting on Yuri's lap, her arms around her with a pleasantly content look on her face. "Hey Onee-chan! Isn't Tou-san back yet???" "..." Michiyo looked up with a rather annoyed glare from the book she was reading, a vein popping on her head. "Like I know." She replied coolly, returning to looking at her book once more. "It's not like I sent a Phoenix after him or anything." Akane glared. "You saw him when he left you should know!" Yuri sighed. "Akane, it's only been what, a month and a half? Maybe he thinks that isn't sufficient enough training time." "'Sides, I have more important things to worry about." Michiyo added, shutting her book after reading what looked like an entire chapter. "Like the Iwagakure incident..." "It's not even our village." Akane replied. "Why bother? Isn't that the Hokage's concern anyway?" "That's not the problem. Apparently, the power went to those rebel's heads over there..." The elder sister set down her book and sat straighter. "Their using the Stone-nin to advance on the smaller and surrounding areas. The villages near there are getting nervous now..." She pressed a hand to her palm. "Such an act would be considered expansion of a growing empire, and a dictatorship at best. It's only reasonable to be cautious about it. Otherwise... it might start to spread into Konoha." Before Akane could reply, the door opened and the morning sunlight burst in. When the initial glare faded, the silhouette of the person standing there revealed it to be Ahatake. He was rather scraped and looked exhausted, but also looked rather impressive with the giant cleaver blade on his back. "Yo!" He said grinning. "T-TOU-SAN!" Akane exclaimed. "Kurosaki-san, welcome back." Eyes widening, Michiyo snapped her head to look over at the figure of her father, but they immediately lidded. The smile re-appeared on her face. "Glad to see you're alive, Tou-san. How was it?" "Hell." Ahatake said shortly as his daughter ran to hug him. "Tou-san's training is murder." "Heh..." Michiyo chuckled, her eyes falling on the gleaming blade. "Still, that big old butcher knife must be a big benefit, don't you think?" Ahatake grinned. "You bet it is." He held it up, the black cloth that it was kept in falling off, revealing a white blade with a black edge. "It's large enough to function as a shield, while functioning as a weapon. Tou-san crafted it himself." "And it only took a month? He must be quite the black-smith." "Hm? Oh no." Ahatake said, wrapping the blade back in it's cloth. "He's always had this. He's meant to give it to me for awhile, but he's never around." Ahatake sighed. "It's the reason you two have never met him." "Oh..." The elder daughter nodded in understanding, folding her arms across her chest. "Well, you're going to need it, then." She said softly. "There's been a rebellion in Iwagakure, and its influence is spreading to other villages. It's becoming quite a threat very quickly." Ahatake sighed. "I'll let you handle that." He sighed and looked around. "Y..Yuri?!? Why are you still here? I don't want to sound rude but don't you have your own house and family?" "Um...well.." Yuri looked nervous. "I do have my own house..but..my family is dead." Immediately, there was a silence that fell amongst the family, before Michiyo decided to break it. "....what killed them?" She questioned softly, eyes turning towards the girl in question. "I've no idea." Yuri replied. "I wasn't at the house at the time. I had been out buying groceries and when I came back they were dead. Blood splattered over the floor and sword wounds on their bodies." That made Michiyo silent once more, words having been trapped in her mouth before she could say them. "Anyway, you move on." Yuri replied and she sat down on the couch. "I think of you all as my family now. And when I marry Akane it'll be official." Akane grinned and Ahatake smiled. "Well, seeing how much you stay around here, you're as good as family now kid." The tension was immediately washed away, and Michiyo breathed heavily, sitting back down in her chair. "So, Tou-san..." She said in a manner of curiosity, even as she picked back up her book. "What do you plan on doing now that you have these newfound abilities? Planning to look for the Spetsnaz?" "Of course." Ahatake replied. "I intend to kill Tenko this time around." "Of course..." Now, normally Michiyo would've had her doubts of her father rushing into combat like before. But, now, she could feel his stronger chakra seep into the room, her senses having picked it up. The fact that he was carrying a large weapon around with such ease gave away the increase of his physical performance. He might have a chance. "That works perfectly, then!" Clapping her hands together, Michiyo smiled cheerfully. "Because I've got an idea of where they're hiding!" Ahatake grinned. though this good mood was immediately marred by the entrance of his sister. "HI ONII-SAN!" Her voice rang shrill and strong. "Oh damn..." Ahatake thought. "Hry, Auntie!" Despite her cheerful greeting, Michiyo had her own ears covered, her mirthful expression slightly pained. "So good to hear your voice again..." "Easy for you to say." Ahatake growled. Akane walked up to Ahatake. "Onii-san, you smell like Tou-san. You been spending time with him?" "Yeah." Ahatake sighed. "I've been training. Anyway, Michiyo I'm ready when you are." "All right..." For amoment, Michiyo slid her palms together, smile still plastered on her face. Then, reaching into her back pocket, she whipped out a map and opened it up, revealing the world continents. "So, the majority of Spetsnaz activity has been centered in the Leaf village, right? Well, upon further evidence..." Her finger pointed somewhere out of Konoha. "...there is an abandoned safehouse that has been used in the past. That's where they'll all be located, waiting for us to storm in." "So you think they're expecting us to barge in on them?" Ahatake asked. "No doubt. Tenko's not an idiot, after all." "If they're expecting us, then they could have traps littered around the place." Akiko pointed out. "That's where Shadow Clones would come in." Ahatake said. "Shadow Clones are perfect bait." "Right..." Michiyo nodded, closing the map via roll-up. "Though, we have to be careful. If there's some kind of surveillance keeping track, we'll need to avoid and or disable it if necessary. Don't want to attract attention without realizing it..." Ahatake sighed. "What I hate is that we'll have to progress the slow way. The whole "we-need-to-be-cautious" mess. But I'd rather be cautious and progress slowly, than blast the place apart and get killed." He stood up. "Are you all ready to go now or do you need to get ready?" "I'm good to go." Akiko said blinking once and her eyes became red with cat-like slits for pupils. Immediately, Michiyo folded her arms across her chest and gave a smirk. "I'll definitely be there. We're not missing this for anything." "I'm sitting this one out." Akane said meekly. Immediately, Michiyo gave an incredulous look in her direction. "What? You've got to be kidding!" She exclaimed. "What was the use of all of that training if you're just going to ba--" Then, she stopped herself. She raised her eyebrow and smirked. "Don't tell me you're scared now..." She guessed. Akane scowled. "I just feel like sitting this one out. Besides, you all are stronger than me. What use would I be?" She wrapped her arm around Yuri's shoulder. "Imma stay here with Yue." "Oh, so you wanna let us risk our lives so you can stay here and do the nasty with Yuri. Is that it?" "Don't get mad at me 'cuz you aint got someone to do it with." Akane scowled. "Not my fault no guy around Konoha wants you." She stuck out her tongue and blew a loud raspberry. Michiyo merely rolled her eyes. "Right..." She turned towards Ahatake, shrugging her shoulders. "I guess that's it, then. Let's move out, shall we?" She felt a little regretful of her words; it sounded as if she was bossing her father around. Ahatake sighed. "Akane, I agree with your staying out of this. I don't need my youngest daughter dying. And yes Michiyo, let's go." "Come back alive you three!" Infiltration It had taken a few hours in order to pin-point and arrive at the exact location. In order for stealth to work, they had to settle in at the outskirts, in order to avoid immediate detection. Now, they were scouting through the woods, only 100 meters from their position. Despite the number, it wasn't very far. But despite that, even as they walked, they kept a close eye out for any traps. "Should we use Shadow Clones now?" Akiko asked. "No." Michiyo instructed. "At this point, we're too close to use any chakra. They'll sense us in a heartbeat. Just have to rely o--" Abruptly, her order was stopped mid-sentence, her eyes having caught a rustle in the treetops. Her eyes widened considerably, and her body tensed slightly. Ahatake looked up, but he didn't see anything. Was it just a bird? That notion would instantly be erased. What stood at one of the branches was a lone figure, dressed in a purple, spec-ops outfit. At one of the high branches, he stood calmly, arms folded across his chest, and intense eyes looking down on the group. Despite the fact that his katana was secured to his side, he didn't look as if he was aiming to reach for it anytime soon. However, it was obvious he wasn't an ally. Ahatake and Akiko's eyes widened at the sight of the man. "Who are you?" Ahatake asked, and Akiko scowled at him. She wasn't a fan of strange people in strange outfits. But the man remained silent. However, he did nod his head to the left - the direction they were facing. The motion made Michiyo frown slightly, folding her arms across her own chest. "I think he's directing us towards the safehouse..." She guessed. "Guess we should go there." Ahatake said. "What can it possibly hurt?" He took off in that same direction, Akiko following him on all fours. As they neared, there were two more, hanging out on a tree branch. One was in the same position as the first, while the other had taken to sitting on the branch. Slowly, Michiyo was coming to a realization, even as she followed close behind. "They're scouting us!" "What?!?" Ahatake growled. "Are you sure?" "Yeah. Tenko was prepared for us, all right. I bet they're grasping a feel of the chakras we're exuding right now. Question is... why are they guiding us?" Michiyo's eyes caught another pair observing. "Tenko's decided he wants to exterminate us now." Akiko guess, still running like a dog. "Can we kill these lot?" "I wouldn't risk it. Look at the way they're standing. They're acting as if they're on break or something... none of 'em's moving without apprehension or fear. They've been informed of us... but they're too relaxed. Attack 'em, and it'll most likely be a trap. Besides..." Michiyo's eyes finally fell on a massive, feudal-like temple. Parts of it were patrolled by the same ninja, who were waiting for their arrival just as the previous ones did. "Our goal here is the Spetsnaz... not them." Akiko scowled. "Buzzkill." She growled. "I wanna cut loose." Ahatake smiled. "You'll get your chance. These people have done nothing to us. You can fight your precious Yumi. Michiyo, I'll give you Okita free of charge. Tenko is mine." He clenched his blade. The elder daughter looked over at him. "What about the Shiromura?" "Oh yeah Rice boy.." Ahatake murmured. "Let's just hope he's off duty." On cue, one of the ninja appeared in front of them and pushed the doors open, stepping aside in order to allow them to pass. Without hesitation, Michiyo stepped in first. "What no red carpet?" Ahatake asked sarcastically as he entered and Akiko after him, she became bipedal again. ---- They soon reached one of the sub-rooms that was connected via a series of hallways to the main room. There was a single shinobi that greeted them, a smile on his face, and squinted eyes. The Soujirou who had personally ended Chiaki's life. The one who had slaughtered the Tenno leader's teammates. The one to have nearly killed a daughter and a sister. Okita. Flanking him were two ninja, acting as bodyguards. This time, they didn't appear so willing to step aside, hands on the hilt of their katanas. In acknowledgement, Okita bowed his head. "So glad you could make it, Tenno..." "Always the creepy smile and formalities." Ahatake sighed. "Soujirou, I'm not here for you." "That's fine." Okita replied calmly. "Though, I'm afraid Tenko-sama won't' just let you in just like that. You see, when he prepared for your arrival, he secured a lock combination just for the group of you. The doors to his room won't be unlocked until you defeat the subordinates." He nodded his head towards another door. "Yumi's waiting in the room parallel to ours. As of Gohan, I'm not sure where he is..." Ahatake put a hand to his forehead for a moment, as Akiko walked towards Yumi's room. "Maybe I will take you on." Ahatake said as he reached for his blade. "If we have to defeat the subordinates, beating the crap out of you will be just the warm-up I need. Michiyo, you go find Gohan." "And a change in plans..." Michiyo said dryly, pushing open the door that led into the hallway. "Try not to get yourself killed, k?" The door shut promptly, and the sounds of running footsteps could be heard getting fainter and fainter. Ahatake swung his blade from over his back to his side, the cloth unwrapping from around it and whipping around him. As he tittled his head his neck made a cracking noise. "You ready?" "When you are." Okita confirmed, hand slowly drawing out his sword. His eyes fell, widening upon the sight of the new blade. "Though, I have to ask: have you been smithing? That blade looks surprisingly elegant..." "No, Tou-san made this for me a long time ago." Ahatake replied. "I just got it about half a month ago. With it's I've been learning proper Kenjutsu." "I get it..." Okita commented, eyes opening to a half-lidded position. "Your injuries pushed you to train more. Good thing I was prepared for this type of situation..." They opened a bit more. "Tell me, Tenno-sama. Have you heard of shukuchi before?" "Hm?" Ahatake looked puzzled for a moment. "Shukuchi? Rapid Movement?" "Yes. But, in cases such as mine, it is also known as godspeed." Okita lowered his blade to the side. "Such speed is impossible to detect by the human eyes alone, and when used to its full extent, you are practically a ghost. All the times we've fought up to this point, you've been able to read my moves..." He nodded slightly, as if to acknowledge something. "It would be obvious that I haven't used the full power of shukuchi." He finished. Ahatake's eyes widened. "What..y..you're not serious are you?" "I'm always serious to my opponents, Tenno-sama." Okita replied, raising up a hand and sticking up three fingers. "Three steps below the true shukuchi is what I've been demonstrating. Since you've managed to survive both times, I can finally show my true potential." Then, he gripped his blade with one hand. "Now... two steps." FWOOM! Now, a step up from his speed, his body seemed to appear everywhere, his movements considerably faster than before. Only bits of his figure seemed to appear, but they were at random intervals, not in a certain path anymore. Now, it was like fighting a robot. Then, he was behind! SLASH! Blood spurted from teh various slash wounds left by Okita's sword, and it forced Ahatake's eyes open wide. "What..what the hell??" "Like it?" Okita questioned politely, his figure re-appearing a ways off from his opponent, blood dripping from the blade of his sword. "Two steps before shukuchi. Only two more steps before I show my true speed... but, it seems you just haven't gotten used to two-steps yet. I guess I'll have to stick to it a little more." Once again, his figure vanished. Where he stepped at, burst of wind seemed to partially rip up the tiles on the ceiling and floor. Off to the side of Ahatake, a fissure-like wave of wind came rushing at him, tearing a ditch. "Hell.." Ahatake pressed his hand to the ground. "..No!" He finished, pushing himself into the air with just one arm. He launched a flash bomb into the air and quickly shielded his own eyes. "Flash bang!" Immediately, his eyes widened upon seeing it. His eyes quickly shut, and his body abruplty stopped. As the light began to fade, Ahatake clenched his blade. "Kenjutsu: Flame Ring!" Ahatake's cleaver blade ignited in a brilliant flash of red and orange and he swung it through the air, creating a swirling vortex of fire around Soujirou. The blazing fire was immediate to Okita's vision once he opened his eyes once more, though they widened immediately. The flames' heat licked at his skin, and he knew it was only a while before he would burn. He sprung into action, pulling one foot back and one foot forward. "Heavenly Shield." Then, his feet rocketed off, and his shielded body tore through the cyclone. However, it managed to blow through the ceiling, leaving a gaping hole to the upper levels and sky. Ahatake scowled as his torrent of flame was destroyed. "Well that was a waste if chakra.." ---- Akiko opened the door. "Hey Yumi you in here?!?!?" The room she was currently in was a room of black. Other than a white floor, the walls were covered in darkness, giving the illusion of it being limitless in size. And right in front of her was Yumi, hands clasped in front of her, and a kunai knife in her hand. "Akiko..." She said calmly, eyes slightly narrowed. "So he decided to let you all in..." Akiko's red eyes scanned the room. "Odd place this is. And yeah he let us in." Slowly, Yumi closed her eyes, brows furrowing. "It doesn't matter." She stated coolly, retracting her hands to her side. "Even if you beat me, none of you will get past Tenko-sama." Akiko licked her claws. "We won't. But Onii-san will." Yumi's narrowed eyes widened at the notion, and slight disgust sent a chill down her spine. This girl was looking for blood. Unconsciously, her grip on the kunai tightened, wary of what her enemy might do next. Akiko sighed. "Ya know, I don't really intend to fight you Yumi." She said, looking around the room again. "That's too bad. I'm feeling the opposite way..." With that seemingly cold statement, she raised the kunai in her hand and swung it around her finger. Yumi's eyes narrowed again in slight concentration. Akiko's eyes closed for a moment and whisker like marks formed on her cheeks. "If that's the case.." She said, as he claws and canines lengthened slightly. She settled into a stance that slightly resembled that of Chinese Martial Arts. "Then come." She looked determined. "As you wish!" With a single step, Yumi threw herself at Akiko, kunai knife in hand. When she closed the gap, she swung her kunai upward in a backhanded uppercut. "Not a chance!" Akiko grinned and she swung her own hand at the Kunai, her claws clashing against the blade. Relying on her Spetsnaz training, Yumi immediately ducked downward in a 360-degree spin, using the claws as a hold to get under her opponent's exposed guard. While in her spin, she swung her leg upward in the direction of the neck side. Akiko quickly moved her head to the side, avoiding the intended blow, and jumping back. "I doubt I'll be able to really fight her.." Akiko thought. "I really don't want to have to hurt her..though she obviously wants to hurt me!" Immediately, when her feet landed on the ground, she executed a set of hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique." The deadly ball of flame erupted from her lips and headed towards the retreating form of Akane. Akane inhaled and then exhaled in a loud roar splitting straight through the fireball. A shocked Yumi could only raise one arm to shield herself, the resulting winds having hit her face and temporarily blinding her. "C...can't see..." She thought, her heart pumping hard in her chest. She dashed towards Yumi and sank her fist into the girl's gut. She didn't stop there however, and performed a barrage on punches on the afflicted area and kicked her chin so she flew up into the air. The first blow to the gut, Yumi was able to hold. Though one of her eyes shut, it was clear that she had not lost her focus. However, despite her training to resistance, the volley of blows that followed to the same area were anything but kind. Her pupils shrank, and a short spray of crimson liquid escaped her mouth. Then, the flying kick that sent her away propelled her back. She struggled to catch herself, flipping in mid-air and landing in a crouched position. Her breaths were gasping now, even as she abruptly stood up and readied herself once more. Akiko licked some up the blood that landed on her face off with her tongue. "Delicious.." She thought, and quickly formed hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" She expelled red flames, enhanced by Jinchuriki power, at Yumi. Gritting her teeth, Yumi knew that her normal Fireball wouldn't do against Akane's attack. Acting quickly, the raven-haired girl jumped to the side, the fireball whizzing past her. But, immediately afterwards, she threw out from her pocket a small bomb, blue in color. A flash bomb. BANG! "Aw shit! Akiko shielded her eyes from the light.